How do you file a complaint against a host?

[Tammy37]

Had a confirmed booking, had already paid, then the host said he wanted $100 in cash on arrival as a surcharge.  We disagreed, but eventually cancelled, since we knew he would eventually cancel us out so he could gouge someone else.  

Because we cancelled, we have to eat the service charge.

Two questions:

1) how do we file a complaint against this host?

2) How can we petition to get the host to eat the service charge?

thanks,

Tammy

[Kimberly113]

There was no way to describe your experience when you selct the "other" option. Who to I call or e-mail to make a complaint? 

[Kate782]

Hi Claire,

your comment is very helpful. You seem to have alot of experience to get to a level 10.

Could you explain a little more making comments under the small flag option?

Is AirBNB interested in the fact that for my AirBNB, the access was not even listed on the correct street, that it was actually on a totally different street and then you had to go down a flooded, unlit lane with loose paving in the water, meaning that you have to lift and carry bags to get in?

It seems to me that AirBNB, like Uber do not care about thier customers.

- thanks, Kate

[Clare0]

Hi @Kate782 , I hope that it is me to whom you are addressing your question. :--)

From what you describe, your complaint is more about the listing information and the difficulty you had accessing the space. In other words, it is not that the host took a overt action but rather failed to adequately describe the listing information.  

If so, you should leave a review describing the issues you had with the appropriate star rating.  Reviews from guests sting hosts more than any censure from Airbnb since they cannot be removed or edited once published and they are there for the world and potential guests to see.  Sure, the host can leave a response, but the critism is still there.  

As an example, in my area we had record rains that severly damaged the driveway to my listing and a guest noted in their review (which was generally very nice) that fortunately they had an SUV to access the guest house.  Yike, I thought that this was going to drive away guests who may get the impression they needed an all-terrain vehicle to get there.  It was a relatively accurate review and I could not blame them for the mention of the road condition. 

Your honest review should contain the following: 

1. The place to access the listing was not adequately described. 

2. The access was flooded. 

3. The pavers were uneven. 

4. It was difficult to carry your bags to the actual entrance. 

This will give future guests accurate information on what you experienced. 

Otherwise, to report a host, click on the host's profile picture and at the end of the reviews you will see a Report This Profile link where you can select from some options to report.  Likely this will not be as effective as leaving an honest review. 

I hope this helps!

[Tammy37]

thanks, more good advice!

[Sandra126 · Accepted solution]

If in the future you should ever need to cancel because of a host issue (it will probably never happen again, but anyway...) call Airbnb FIRST and let them cancel it for you, they will take appropriate action and you will not have to claim back the service charge.

Better to do it that way around, since you have to contact them anyway. If a host cancels, you get full refund and maybe even a little travel credit as a perk and comfort from Airbnb.

The host, on the other hand, gets slapped with a fine which is a reason why hosts do not want to cancel!

I wish all hosts just got on with doing the job we are here to do, rather than trying on a little scam on the side.

Better luck next time!

[Tammy37]

thanks, good advice!

[Jerry64]

Currently a host has advertised a room at $400/night. She also has a website with $400/night rooms. My expectation was that I would receive a $400/night room or equivalent. Upon booking I was told that the room would be determined on availability when I arrived. Most of the other rooms that she has advertised are $200/ night. My concern is that I will pay for a top level room and get a bottom tier room and overpay by$200/ night. I'm not sure why she cannot tell me which room I will get although I have already booked with her. 

[Cormac0]

@Jerry64

for exactly the reasons you posulated, your Host would be called a "Cute *Bleep*" in Ireland, more examples of bate and switch.

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

[Nina75]

True Sounds Fishy.... $400 is a lot of money for that price, you can get a whole house.

[Rhonda380]

O. ** have an Airbnb located on what's suppose to be lake front but it's not.  It's located at **, Wa. We could overlook that but when I went there it was hot.  Really hot in that house.  The mobile a/c unit leaked all over the room.  The host asked me to take the unit to the patio and empty the water.  Shouldn't they have done that?  Let me tell you, that was the least of our problems.  

The bedroom is the only room with a t.v. in the whole house.  The breaker kept tripping in the bedroom.  The breaker was in the basement which we didn't have access to because it was locked. The host, christiany, said she'd send somebody to fix it but not until the next day so I had to get a hotel room...I thought just for the night. I got a note from the host saying it was fixed.  We went back and it was off again.  I had my family at this point with me.  I videoed everything to send to Airbnb to prove that the property was uninhabitable.  It was unusually hot and hotter inside than outside.  The host kept blaming the heat outside but I kept telling her it was hotter inside than upside.  

she basically told me to get a hotel which we had to and she changed the lock code.  We paid $5500 and I stayed one miserable night there and all we got back was $966.  I videoed to prove to  Airbnb that nothing was working in that room and I sent it.  they said that instead there were four outlets in that room and I only checked three.  What???  I proved the electricity wasn't working but because I didn't check four the owner got to decide if I got my money back.  Well, we didn't.  Now, we had to pay for a hotel not only for us but also my family for 30 days and eat out the entire time.  

worst experience of our lives. 

**[Name and address hidden due to privacy concerns - Community Center Guidelines]

[Dee9]

log onto twitter and private message them at @airbnbhelp include the link to the scammers page! they always respond to twitter

[Zouheir0]

i rented a place for 2 weeks trough the airbrn did not wanted to rent but trough a well known resource i was confident that i am safe and so is my money better then to rent from any scam or private ufortuntaly what i have been trough was more the scam i arrive to see  nightmare the place was nothing of what it offerd totaly in mass the dust the dirt they calld room it turnd up an attick the living room is a storage room the yard was  a small place where old car seat dumpd i was in big shock after 24 hour flight had to ask the same driver to find me near by a place to stay the driver demand 100 dollar back even we paid hin 50 to get us to the place but when you in need they ask for double so he found us a hotel in the bussiest st couldnt sleep and all i was thinking of how could airbeern do this to us and deal with fraaaaud people like Ali  even if airburn refund my money the experience and heartck  i sufferd wont go for the rest of my life today i ask airburn to invisticate Ali place and get back to me with the money they took and the hotels money i had to spend cause of the fraud i have been put up with i await your reply before i take any legal action thank you regards lamia the place  was calld Ali cosy lebanese house in jouneih lebanon and the rent period was from 9 of April TILL 23 of APRIL STILL IN SHOCK STILL DEVESTAED

[Neil104]

Hi Zouheir - I am in the middle of a sticky problem with an unscrupulous host as well. Airbnb is naturally geared to favouring the host. It is completely unregulated. It won't take responsibility for host actions - even though guests actually contract with Aribnb. I work for a litigation funder - and am considering launching  class action against them by guests who have been financially disadvantaged by Airbnb's lack of accountability. Please email me with your contact details if you'd like to participate. It would be no cost to you. Please email me at neil.kafer@bigpond.com - I can provide more details.

[Clare0]

@Neil104 Just curious, how will the fact that you have agreed to arbitration affect your ability to launch a class action suit?  All users agree to arbitration in Airbnb's terms of Service when creating their account: 

19.4 Agreement to Arbitrate. You and Airbnb mutually agree that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the breach, termination, enforcement or interpretation thereof, or to the use of the Airbnb Platform, the Host Services, or the Collective Content (collectively, “Disputes”) will be settled by binding arbitration (the “Arbitration Agreement”). If there is a dispute about whether this Arbitration Agreement can be enforced or applies to our Dispute, you and Airbnb agree that the arbitrator will decide that issue.

[Neil104]

That depends on the arbitral institution and its procedural rules Clare. Some will permit group proceedings. Some will permit consolidation of individual arbitrations into what is effectively then a group proceeding (or "class action"). The key point here is that Airbnb accept no accountability for the behaviour of ther hosts. Yes - they will apply sanctions to hosts. In my specific case, I am in an Airbnb property for 2 months (while my new home build is completing) with a host who is going to demolish the property and redevelop it when my booking is finished. Sanctions won't work with this host. There is no leverage. And this host won't spend money to fix problems because in 1 month's time the whole place gets bulldozed. If Airbnb do their usual thing and try to play mediator between me and the host then the host just cancels me, boots me out, and my family is living in our car! I'd like Airbnb to be more accepting of accountability for the hosts that misuse their platform - rather than just trying to get the host to be responsible. Perhaps monies need to be held in escrow like with Upwork and other freelancing sites.